These shoes Dance

We left our hotel and drove for about 1/2 hour through the city of Nairobi. Eventually, we ended up in a slum; dirt roads, goats,skinny dogs,visual signs and smells of sewage and garbage, and little feet that look like this. As we drove deeper into the slum, I heard the sound of singing, then I saw the dancing and realized we had arrived at the light in this slum; we were at the church.

We drove into the driveway of the church and were greeted with the singing and dancing of mothers and their babies.

I could feel the lump in my throat and my eyes swell with tears as I saw the women dancing for us. I remembered at this moment why I love Kenya so much. The joy, the dancing, the singing in a land blanketed in poverty.

I heard the stories of mothers who have had life altering experiences from being involved in the Child Survival Program. These moms, who once lived in the despair of poverty, now have hope. Through this Compassion program, these dancing moms were given medical care, education on nurturing their babies, support from other moms, job skills, and the love of God.

We met this mom today. If we lived in her shoes, we would have four kids and a husband, and live in a very poor area. We would be different than our neighbors because we would have a dream. This amazing woman had the opportunity through the Child Survival Program to start a micro-business. She now cooks peanuts (like dry roasted peanuts) and sells them in the market. She has made enough money to grow a garden that feeds her four children and her husband. She wants to expand her peanut business and believes it will happen. She, and the other mothers from the Child Survival Program, share their ideas and resources to help one another. Their community is amazing. In her shoes, we would have deep friendship. We would have community.

Finally, I met the woman who runs the Child Survival Program. She is “the social worker.” In her shoes, we would find a woman with passion for others, we would find a heart that genuinely cares for babies. We would find someone who loves Jesus.

I asked her, why do you do this? What makes you passionate for the Child Survival Program. She said this, “Jesus is a social worker. He visits people in their homes, he cares for the sick, he lets the little children come to him, he brings hope. I want to be like Jesus.”

Their shoes are worn but they still dance. My heart is encouraged by meeting some beautiful moms and babies.

If you want to change the life of a mother and child for $20 a month, click her Child Survival Program. Lets keep them dancing!!

8 Comments on “These shoes Dance”

Beautiful images and your writing drew me right into it. The following is a post I’m making to several blogs, with the hopes that one of you may have the opportunity to meet my sponsored girl. 🙂
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THANK YOU so much for making this trip and telling us about it! I have a girl I sponsor in one of the projects you are going to and I am aching to hear current news of her. Last I heard, she was expecting a baby but I still don’t know the outcome. Her name is Deborah Awuor Omollo and she is in KE355 (Mathare) project. She is an exceptional 16 year-old girl, full of life and hope and faith in Christ. I would love it if you would hug her and her family for me if you meet them. She has a baby sister who is about 2 and is named after Condoleezza Rice. 🙂 I know you are hugely busy and overwhelmed with processing all that you are experiencing so I won’t hold anything against you if you can’t do this, but if you can… you’d make me incredibly happy. 🙂 God bless you on your journey. Love the Kenyans for us in Jesus name! 🙂 ` Diane Comstock, Morgan Hill, CA